Heather Bezdecheck

• Design and facilitate professional development sessions for audiences of up to 300 teachers, social workers, and school-building leaders on topics, including instructional design for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, successful Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT), and analysis of academic, psychological, and behavioral data
• Observe teachers, document activities and implement improvement plans to optimize classrooms across 3-4 campuses annually
• Serve as lead special education liaison between central management staff, school leaders for grades K-12, 200+ families, clinician agencies, and four NYC Committees on Special Education
• Design and coordinate special education services through frequent principal and district collaboration and consultation.
• Monitored and evaluated educational programs to maintain high-quality performance objectives and standards.

• Maximized student performance through creation and implementation of data-based intervention systems implemented within 3 NYC boroughs
• Designed and conducted professional development on topics such as dynamic assessments, IDEA policy, instructional design, Multi-Tiered-Support Systems
• Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance
• Resolved staff member conflicts, actively listening to concerns and finding appropriate middle ground.
• Maximized performance by monitoring daily activities and mentoring team members.

• Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, in addition to recording student progress to inform parents and school administration.
• Led activities that developed students' physical, emotional, and social growth.
• Designed and led instruction across all academic content areas for students with intellectual or emotional disabilities resulting in average annual growth in reading fluency of 2.3 grade levels
• Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
• Modified general education curriculum for special-needs students using various instructional techniques and technologies.
• Assisted struggling students to maintain progress levels by designing individualized lesson plans focused on areas for improvement.

Graduated Cum Laude